The Hunt for the Master

Beginnings

16

OCT/16

The party relaxes in a shabby tavern in a shabby town at the very edge of civilization. They hear a commotion and rush to investigate. Outside the tavern they spy a trail of devastation leading away from the docks, and a lone figure moving off into the distance. There is a commotion at the docks, where a Varangian ship is docked. The party decides to split up and check things out.

Gramulon Blackwulf and (Deric) head to the docks and are quickly beset by the Varangian soldiers standing there. Though they fought admirably, and killed a significant number of soldiers, they were overwhelmed and given life threatening injuries.

(Mason) and Ilivarra hurry off to the figure. Ilivarra was able to see enough of the figure to think it might be a fellow Drow, but that turns out to not be the case. She turned into an owl and lands on a tree branch near to the figure. (Mason) puts on his best drunken act and saunters up to engage the figure. He manages to get the figure to stop moving and talk long enough to get a feel for him, but palpable waves of fear emanate from him and they two cannot stand it for long, so they make their escape and head back to the docks.

At the docks they see the Varangian Captain and his surviving soldiers standing over the possibly lifeless corpses of Gramulon and (Deric). Everyone in the crowd looks sheepish and scared except for one man, so (Mason) and Ilivarra ask him what happened. He introduces himself as Baron Daro Jarland, the mayor of the town, and explains that the Captain exclaimed that everyone here was to bend knee to Varangia or die. When asked about the figure, he tells them that it is supposedly the Master of the Panopticon. (Mason) and Ilivarra walk up to the Captain to try bargaining for their party's lives.

(Mason) bluffs the Captain, saying he is a "powerful wizard" and "turns" Ilivarra into a boar. This is enough to scare the soldiers away, but the Captain holds fast. Weakened as he was by (Brandon) and (Deric) though, he did not last long. After healing the others, the whole party climbed aboard the ship, dragging the Captain's lifeless body with them.

They all take turns beating upon the Captain's body, and this is enough to enrage the remaining soldiers into attacking. All but one are killed off, and the party searches the ship. Below deck they come across a terrified cabin boy, whom (Mason) befriends. They also come across a chest containing goodies. They take the captured soldier and the cabin boy and deliver them both to the Baron. They then head to the tavern to rest up for the night.